Stranger Things 2takes place over nine episodes, one more than the previous season, and arguably six more thanThe Duffer Brothersneeded to tell the best story possible. Following the logic of Hollywood sequels that “more is better,”Stranger Things 2is a constant drag, spinning its wheels on storylines that lack subtext, detours that fail to grow the characters, and a sci-fi plot that feels like a retread of Season 1. And yet under Netflix’s unique metrics, the show is a massive success by virtue of being slightly longer and getting media attention.
[Spoilers ahead for Stranger Things 2]
If you look at the overall picture ofStranger Things 2, you have a season that does a few things right, especially with how it pairs off characters to create new and interesting dynamics, but also has a lot of wheel-spinning. The plot doesn’t even really get going until thefifthepisode. New characters are introduced like Billy, Max, and Kali, but their impact on the overall plot is negligible. Meanwhile, characters like Mike are pushed to the side, relegated to being a leader but without any of the shading beyond pining for Eleven. And arguably the season would be better if they didn’t include Eleven at all, whose raison d’être appears to be killing the giant monster at the end.
ButStranger Things 2wants to have it all without having any clue on how to utilize its broader canvas. It’s a show where the town of Hawkins literally has monsters beneath its streets threatening to consume everything. Is it a metaphor for the rot of suburbia? The decay of America? The problems people hide? Nope! It’s literally just the new monster, a way to have more Demogorgons plus a huge monster who they kill but not really since we see it in the closing shot. Nothing was accomplished, no one really grew, and boy wasn’t it a fun ride filled with references to 80s stuff?
Think about where the season shines and how much better it would be if, rather than trying to shoehorn in some epic sci-fi (that, again, doesn’t feel wholly different than Season 1 except there’s more monsters), The Duffer Brothers had pared down to about three or four episodes where they focus more on the character relationships. You could still have a supernatural element to tie the characters together, but it would force the showrunners to focus on what’s important rather than trying to simply expand the scope without adding depth. You could still end with the characters dancing at the Snow Ball, but wouldn’t need the constant monster stuff as a distraction.
For example, look at the relationship between Lucas and Max. On the surface, it looks like it might lead to tension between Lucas and Dustin since they both have a crush on Max, and when Lucas decides to trust Max, it builds the bonds of trust that form the basis for their relationship. But becauseStranger Things 2has to service a bunch of other storylines, their relationship lacks definition. I can’t tell you what Max and Lucas like about each other beyond he thinks she’s cool and she likes that he trusts her. Compare that to Season 1 where we at least got some real quality time between Mike and Eleven so that when she “dies,” their parting has emotional impact.
And that’s a shame because buried beneath the empty sci-fi and 80s references,Stranger Things 2is a better show trying to get out. It’s a show where you genuinely care about the characters, and yet it’s a constantly frustrating experience because rather than getting to spend time with this ensemble and dig into the finer points of their relationships, we keep moving between plotlines and the show continues to spin its wheels. That may be what Netflix requires, but it doesn’t make for good storytelling.
